


fallacy

by KaleidoKai



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Eventual Smut, F/M, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-08-07 03:36:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16400600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaleidoKai/pseuds/KaleidoKai
Summary: Three years have passed since the Avatar's defeat and the Fire Nation's victory in the war. Katara and a handful of survivors have sought refuge amongst the ruins of the Western Air Temple. That is, until a certain someone shows up with news that turns their world upside down once more. AU.





	1. discovery

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! 
> 
> This is a story that I started many years ago on another site, but never quite managed to finish. After binge-watching the series again recently, I've felt a sudden need to see it through to the end. So here is my (rewritten) attempt and I hope you'll join me along for the ride!

Silent, soft, swift: she sneaked out, stepping over the sleeping figures cautiously. 

The daybreak draft whipping through the open chambers sent a cold shiver down her spine. Clenching her jaw to stop her teeth chattering, she pulled her worn parka tighter around her shoulders as she slipped through the crevices in the wall. Even after she climbed the steep cliff face up and clambered into the wilderness above, no sound escaped her lips. 

They had survived for three years after their lost war. She could not blow their cover now in carelessness. You never knew who was listening. 

The Western Air Temple was their ruined sanctuary; a moment of stillness in the midst of chaos. What was not destroyed by the Fire Nation over a century ago was overrun by possessive vines and branches, latching onto walls and creeping along the many floors like a silent fog. The frequent streaks of black wounds slashed across the stone and statues served as a reminder that this refuge, this asylum, had also been tainted by the touch of a burning world. That nowhere was safe, not forever. 

But it had been so far, and so were they. It was a wreck, but it was well-hidden, under a cliff where no one had cared to look. Who could survive in such conditions? In this sinking temple that belonged more to nature than the absent people who made it? 

They had come, once. Many months ago, Toph had felt the incoming footsteps of wandering Fire Nation soldiers - or perhaps they were refugees, like themselves. It didn't matter. They had packed up and retreated to the lowest level of the temple; to a secret room Toph and Haru had made in the cliff face for emergencies. She remembered holding Sokka's hand in a death grip and praying to every deity she knew and waiting, waiting, waiting. That was the hardest part. 

Eventually, the footsteps faded away. No one came after that. 

 

oOo

 

They had run out of food again and someone had to gather it. 

Katara crouched amongst the bushes, pausing to listen before darting across the forest floor. She went by her familiar route, one that lead to a small meadow bursting with fruit. Ducking under low branches, leaping over toppling rocks, the only sound of the rising morning were the twitters of the birds and groaning of the trees as they rose for another day. 

Reaching the clearing, she took one quick look around. Trees painted in thick brown and green batches, overflowing with apples and oranges. At their base, clumps of bushes riddled with berries dipped in a myriad of colours, innocuous despite hiding certain death if she picked the wrong ones. The crisp air was soaked in sweet scents, clinging to her skin like dew drops. It was one of her favourite places, a small piece of heaven on earth just for her. 

Opening her rucksack, she rummaged through the meadow quickly, grabbing as much food as she could carry and throwing it in. She'd count it later.

When there was hardly enough space to cram another berry, Katara hoisted the bag – happily heavier – onto her shoulder and circled aimlessly around the cluster of trees two, three, four times. A ritual she had adopted, in case someone was following her, each round faster than the last. When she heard nothing out of the ordinary, she tentatively walked away, but along another path adjacent to the one that sent her home. 

There was one more thing she had to do before she could return.

 

oOo

 

_"You kids have to leave! You have to escape together. Appa's been injured, so you may have to dig yourselves out of the city. I trust our earthbenders are capable enough. Make sure you aren't followed. We'll distract the soldiers long enough for you to get away, but you must leave immediately!"_

_"What?! We can't leave you behind –"_

_"There's no time, Katara! As long as you and Sokka are still fighting, we still have a chance. You'll find Aang, I know it."_

_She gazed up at the worn face of her father, blood on his shoulder soaking through his warrior's tunic. Around them, the world went up in flames, burning too bright and too wild. Shouts and screams, familiar and strange, filled her ears and carved scars into her skin. She blinked furiously, sweat from the heat mingling with her tears and she clutched desperately at one of the only people she had left._

_Her heart shattered as Hakoda enveloped her in a hug, pressing a deep kiss to her forehead._

_"He's still alive, Katara. You have to believe it. It isn't over, yet. We'll see each other again, I promise."_

 

oOo

 

There it was. The tallest tree in the forest. 

An aged redwood stood proud before her, roots resting deep in the earth as it reached towards infinity above. The bark was rough under her hands, the grooves greeting each fingertip like an old friend. Leaves drifted down lazily towards her, soaked in autumn colours, covering the forest floor in red and orange and a sea of fire. A breeze through the air lifted some of the debris and whipped around her, and she closed her eyes as it tickled against her skin in an intimate kiss. 

Dropping the bag softly near the base, Katara began to climb. It had been difficult at first, given so few branches jutted out from the thick column of its trunk, but Katara was nothing but persistent. Over the months and years, she'd carved shallow ledges into the bark to use as holds as she clambered higher.

She did this every time she came out. It was ridiculous and hopeless and in another life, another world, perhaps even poetic. But this was her life and her crumbling world and she did not climb for a true love but for a semblance of freedom to feed an ache that ran deep in her bones. With every second she pulled away from the ground, a little more weight lifted from her shoulders, tumbling away like leaves in the wind. 

Finally reaching the top, she breathed in the warm air and basked in the first rays of sun. Her eyes roamed around the roof of the forest, skimming over the lush greenery before flicking up to a serene blue sky. And for a moment – just a moment – she let herself imagine she was soaring through the clouds on a sky bison with a laughing airbender, off on their next great adventure. And they were free. 

It was ridiculous and hopeless, but she needed this.

 

oOo

 

_"AANG!"_

_She saw the lightening strike him._

_She saw his violent convulsions, the white light of his eyes and arrows fading away._

_She saw him fall._

_And her thoughts drowned together in one word._

_No._

_Ignoring the horde of Dai Li surrounding her, Katara swept a wave of water to ride towards the tumbling Avatar. She pressed forward with arms outstretched, just managing to catch his limp body._

_No._

_"You've got to get out of here!" a voice called to her, distantly. "I'll hold them off as long as I can!"_

_But Aang wouldn't make it. No, no she had to stay and heal him._

_"What are you doing? You must leave immediately!"_

_The water from the Spirit Oasis. It glowed under her shaking fingers. This had to work. He had to live. He had to. He couldn't die. Not yet. Not yet._

_"Get the waterbender! Forget the traitor!"_

_A rock collided with her chest and threw her back, the wind escaping her lungs in a rush. She crashed into the wall and fell in a heap, her vision exploding from the pain at the back of her head. Vaguely, she made out a figure in front of her, encased in crystals. She tried to move, tried to reach her hand towards him, but her body refused to cooperate._

_Aang._

_"Well, wasn't that fun? Grab the traitor and the Avatar and follow me. His pathetic followers must be around here somewhere. Find and end them. Zuzu, be a good boy and take care of the peasant for me. I would do it myself but I'd rather not soil my hands. Decent manicures are just so difficult to get these days, and I've already chipped a nail."_

_Aang._

 

oOo

 

The catacombs. Where they truly lost the war. And where...

Inhaling sharply, she shook her head violently as if to shake out the memories. There was no benefit in dwelling on the past, on people she hoped to never see again.

The birds had stopped twittering when she jumped from the last branch to the ground with a soft crunch. Picking off wayward leaves on her clothes, Katara slung the rucksack on her back and turned towards the temple. The sun perched higher in the sky now so everyone would be awake, though she hoped not. There weren't any raids planned today and she enjoyed the silence in their sanctuary – it felt safe and peaceful, not hollow or empty. And it gave her time to cook breakfast without Sokka hovering around hoping for an extra bite here and there.

And then? Training. More training. Hour after hour. She had to be stronger. She had to be ready. It had to be perfect. A single mistake could get her – could get them all killed. No, her skills had to be flawless and she could never stop learning. Learn, practice, perfect. Learn, practice, perfect. Learn, practice –

"You know, if you really don't want to be found," A voice broke her reverie with its unmistakable rasp, "I'd suggest you climb a tree a little less obvious and with a little more cover. I could see you from a mile away." 

Katara froze, her breath hitching slightly in fear and shock. She turned, praying that maybe, he was a figment of her imagination.

The sliver of sunlight through the trees highlighted a mop of black hair and an angular face, pale and half-warped in scar. A pair of unreadable eyes watched her in wait, a slice of sun trapped in his twin yellow pools. He leaned casually against a tree, looking deceivingly innocent. But she knew better.

His lips twitched into a half-smile and he raised a hand in greeting. "Hello. Zuko here."

This could not be real.

A blink later, a whip was ready in her hands, the plants around her curling brown in decay. She clenched her jaw in determination and pushed, a spear of water rushing to impale him where he stood.

He side-stepped it easily, his eyes brightening with interest. Katara flicked her hand, the whip twirling to become a series of ice daggers, flying at him with raging speed from all directions, trapping him against the tree. To her surprise, he raised a wall of flames in the blink of an eye, obscuring himself from her view. The daggers pierced through, slamming into the trunk behind him with so much force, the branches quivered above, depositing a fresh bout of leaves on her head.

But when the fire faded away, he was gone.

She took a step forward cautiously, another ball of water hovering between her hands. The hairs on her arm quivered where they stood, panic tingling along her veins like lightening.

Something cold and silver pressed her throat, digging in warning against her skin. Her hands fell to her sides, the water splashing at their feet. "Very good," Zuko muttered in her ear, almost impressed. "You're faster than you used to be. But not fast enough."

They had found them. 


	2. request

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Fire Prince reveals his intentions and Katara makes a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! 
> 
> Thank you so much for the kudos/comment on the last chapter! This one’s much longer so I hope it draws you in just a little bit more ;) 
> 
> Happy reading!

They had found them, and it was her fault. 

_Breathe in._

Katara clenched her hand, disgruntled at how it shook so violently. The whispers of the forest fell quiet around them, as if nature itself had become their spectator. Time slowed to a standstill, silence screaming in her ears against the rush of her blood and the thud, thud, thud of her beating heart. Above, the sun slunk away in hiding behind a cloud, dousing them in pale shadows. Holding its breath, the world bore witness.

_Breathe out._

"No snarky remarks?" Zuko scoffed, his body radiating heat behind her. "That's new, and very unlike you." 

_Breathe in._

She briefly considered kicking him, but the cool kiss of steel on her throat reminded her how ill-advised it would be. There was enough pressure from the swords to keep her still, but it remained steady, a sigh against her skin. The intention was to warn, but not to harm.

His first mistake.

Zuko shifted delicately behind her, the leather hilts of his swords squeaking in protest as his hands tightened their hold. “I don’t want to hurt you," he muttered in her ear, strained. “That’s not what I’m here for. So I’m going to lower my weapons, and you’re not going to attack me. We’re just going to talk. Do we have a deal?”

Katara swallowed the sneer that graced her lips. Memories clawed their way to the surface at the sound of his voice, hovering at the edge: chilling and familiar. He thought he knew her. He thought she was the same naive child he’d left behind all those years ago.

She wasn’t sure who that girl was anymore either, but that didn't matter. That girl was a ghost, a piece of her past fractured and shattered and lost long ago.

No, what mattered was the present: the adrenaline coursing through her veins, the anger simmering in her heart.

_Breathe out._

The call of her element pulling at her fingertips like tides under the moon.

With an imperceptible turn of her head, she nodded at him. He sighed in relief, his swords moving slowly away from her neck.

_Breathe in._

A sudden flick of her hands: the water on the floor rose up to encase them in ice. She knew she had seconds before he melted himself out. Blowing a jet of warm water through her nostrils, Katara ducked under his rapidly melting arms and pushed away from him. Rolling on the floor, she drew water from the trees, shaping it into her very own frozen knife. By the time he had the top half of his body out of his prison, she was pressed against his back, a cold prick resting at his neck.

"How the tables have turned," she taunted in his good ear, proud her voice did not shake. His wet tunic spread a chill through her front, steaming where it touched his searing skin. "Did you really think I was stupid enough to believe you?”

Zuko turned his head slowly, the unmarred side of his face towards her. His silhouette stood sharp against the shadows of the forest as he surveyed her, a ghost wrapped in shadow. For a moment, she could swear his eyes held approval before they narrowed in a glare.

"I thought you were dead," the waterbender spat out. "I heard the rumours."

"I’m sorry to disappoint,” he replied without emotion. “You should know better than to listen to gossip.”

She pushed the knife closer and he hissed as it delicately sliced his pale skin. "Why is that? When I can make the rumours into reality, right now. One less evil in the world. Oh, don't give me that look," she muttered scornfully at his surprised expression. "What else did you expect? That you'd find the same idiot you left behind and that I'd show you mercy?"

In her anger, she hadn’t noticed that he had completely unfrozen, his twin swords rolling idly in his palms.

Tears pricked the edges of her eyes, fury quaking in her bones like a raging volcano at his silence. "Did you really think I’d believe you’re here to just - just _talk_ _?"_

Zuko watched her impassively, but a flicker of emotions passed in his yellow eyes like candle flames.

_End it now, Katara. You have to protect everyone. Do it._

"I’d be disappointed if you trusted me so easily," he replied honestly, quiet not to disturb the world. “But I don’t have the luxury of time to wait until you do. We’ve wasted years already.” His voice hardened, a lining of steel framing his every word. “Azula is still the Fire Lord and Ozai is still the Phoenix King and the Avatar’s closest allies are too afraid to do anything about it.”

Her breath hitched in her chest as if he’d snatched the air from her lungs. "What makes you think we haven't been fighting back?"

Zuko turned his head back to stare ahead, strangely calm against the blade of ice at his throat. "Raids on insignificant bases hardly count. Everything damaged can just be rebuilt. You have to cut off the source of the disease if you want to make a real change. But you aren't half the bloodthirsty machine you think you are, so can we _please_ drop this charade and speak properly? This is important.” She couldn't see his face, but she imagined he was rolling his eyes. 

_Ignore the bait. He's wrong. You can kill him, Katara. Just a small flick. You're at the right nerve, one small cut -_

A piercing thought stilled her hand.

"How did you find us?" she snapped. There was little point in pretending she was alone. If he found her here, it was almost guaranteed he knew about the temple and the others.

A humourless chuckle escaped his lips. “Don’t you remember? Finding people is kind of my thing.”

"How did you find us, Zuko?” she repeated vehemently, tightening her hold on him.

His throat bobbed against her knife as he deliberated, before dropping his swords with a thud. Katara jolted at the sound, glancing down in horror when she realised he’d been unfrozen and holding them the whole time. With a twist of the hand free of her knife, she quickly released her grip on his shoulder and lifted another ball of water high above them, the grass under their feet shrivelling in decay.

Careless, she was careless! She would not give him the opportunity a second time. 

“Easy,” the firebender said slowly, staring at the shimmering sphere with a baleful eye. He raised his palms in surrender. “You asked me how I found you, so I’m about to reach inside my tunic and show you.”

At her reluctant nod, he withdrew something withered and brown. "You've got a pretty strong scent, you know."

Her waterskin. One she'd dropped in the catacombs once upon a nightmare ago.

“Two years ago, I used this to track where you and your friends were hiding,” he said, his hand running lightly over the aged leather. “I’ve kept an eye on your whereabouts ever since.”

“That’s not possible,” she whispered back fervently, her hands shaking. The ball of water floating above collapsed as she lost control, soaking them to the skin. Zuko grunted in protest, but she hardly heard him over the deafening sound of panic spreading through her body like vines. “We’ve been so careful. The Fire Nation never found us-“

“I didn’t say the Fire Nation. I just said _I_ did. That’s an important distinction,” he quickly cut in, steaming himself off in disgruntlement.

Katara sneered up at him, adjusting the knife. “I don’t see a difference.” She reached her free hand around his shoulder to grab the waterskin -

\- only for him to move it out of reach.

"Hold on," he said with a cocked eyebrow. “Aren’t you a little bit curious about why it’s me and not Azula here?”

Gritting her teeth, she had to admit it was bothering her. In the months after their defeat in the Day of Black Sun, Azula had led an aggressive campaign to destroy any last remnants of rebellion that infested her new world. The hunt for any man, woman, or child that called the Avatar _friend_ had been relentless.

If Zuko had told his sister what he’d known, they’d have been taken or executed a long time ago, the temple reduced to a charred husk of its former glory.

But they were here, and she was not.

Katara said nothing for a moment, fingertips brushing along the tense web of silence strung between them. It wrapped around them, through them, pulling taut until a single breath threatened to snap it into pieces. She inhaled deeply to steady herself and sighed, asking suspiciously, “What do you want, Zuko?"

With her loosened hold on the knife, he managed to glance over his shoulder at her, his eyes unusually bright. He watched for a heartbeat before muttering, "I need your help."

There was a heavy pause until it was shattered by Katara bursting in cynical laughter. "Is that right?” she exclaimed, her voice mimicking something sweet. “Oh, since it’s _you_ asking, let me just run and grab everyone, _Your Majesty_ , and we'll follow you to Azula like the little obedient soldier boy you are -"

"- you're hilarious,” he interrupted curtly, his fists tightening in irritation. She narrowed her eyes at his reactions, the smile fading from her lips. He followed her gaze and hurriedly relaxed his hands with a sigh. “That's not what I meant. I have no interest in seeing my sister nor in bringing you in. But I do need your help. Please.” The last word was almost breathless, pleading.

It was difficult to look at him. Zuko’s eyes were blazing golden, dripping in sunfire and no less burning. There was a desperation clinging to his stare, a hollowness that promised an abyss if she stared at it for too long.

The practical part of her scorned his act as a charade. It would be just like Azula to send a puppet, claiming goodwill before peeling their skin off delicately with her manicured fingers. Her hand tightened around the knife and she pressed it harder against his throat. He made no sound as a thin sliver of blood prickled over the blade like a beaded necklace, his gaze fixed intently on her face like stone.

No, she couldn't trust him.

Zuko released another tired sigh, as if he’d read her thoughts.

"If you just let me explain, maybe you’ll give me a chance.” His voice was devoid of any emotion, and it unnerved her with its emptiness.

He dropped her waterskin back into his pockets and dug a little deeper, his movements slow so as not to startle her, drawing out something small and enclosed in his fist. "Have you heard of the Order of the White Lotus?" Opening his hand, she saw a Pai Sho tile. It was small enough to fit comfortably in his palm but Katara could easily see the faded lotus painted elegantly on its cream surface.

"Not really," she muttered, puzzled. "Word went around that they were a group of rebels, but were wiped out in an attack outside Ba Sing Se. I heard they were made an example of..." She trailed off, shaking. Squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, she cleared her throat. "How is this relevant?"

Zuko played with the tile between his fingers, his head turned away so she couldn't see his expression. "You're right, there was a rebel attack outside Ba Sing Se. They didn't last long. Not many do.” Again, the lack of life in his words sent a shiver down a spine. So matter-of-fact, he could have easily been speaking about the weather. "But it wasn't the White Lotus. They're smarter than that. They know better than to attack one of the most heavily guarded cities in the world without an army."

“Some people are desperate. It doesn’t make them stupid but brave,” Katara argued vehemently, his apathetic tone inspiring a fresh wave of anger. “At least they tried to make a difference!”

Zuko gaped at her, suddenly turning to face her. She fumbled a little with the knife but managed to keep it in place. “Except they’re dead with nothing to show for it. How is that making a difference?” he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “You’re just giving the Fire Nation an opportunity to show their strength and strike fear into people’s hearts. Sometimes being brave and stupid are the same thing.”

Her hand started to shake in fury. Fury that he spoke so easily of the demise of others, fury that he was still alive and she was still listening, fury at the injustice of the world they lived in. Her eyes roved over his face, at the coarse red stain smeared across his eye and ear like crusted blood. "Of course, you’d know about that," she fumed. "I'm sure the Fire Prince must need to show his strength several times within the walls of his palace, safe from the world."

A dark chuckle escaped his lips, and he closed his eyes. Katara noticed the bruises underneath his unscarred eyelid, painted blotches of blue and black as if he hadn’t slept in days. "Looks like you've already forgotten who my sister is. You're hardly in a position to judge.” Zuko suddenly opened his eyes and she almost took a step back at his intensity. “You have no idea what she's become, what they've _all_ become since the Avatar fell."

"And whose fault is that?" she barked, her voice cracking. Around them, the trees trembled as the water in their veins sang to the swell of emotion brewing inside her, clouds darkening above in promise of a storm to match her rage. She took a step forward. He took a step back.

"Who's the one that let Azula take him down in the first place?"

She couldn't say his name. Not without breaking, and she'd never give the firebender the satisfaction of seeing her crumble.

"Who played with my trust and shoved a knife in my back the moment he had the opportunity?" 

A groan spread through the forest like wildfire, her element dancing to her vicious melody. Zuko glanced around, and for the first time, she saw a flicker of fear play across his face. Pride swelled in her breast. He was in the heart of nature, a landscape thrumming with life that bent to her every whim. This was her hidden kingdom, and he was an intruder on her land. She drew strength from that thought, pressing further into him until he was forced to take another step away from the knife lest it slice him clean. 

“Who became Azula’s right-hand man while she and your father devastated the world and all the innocent people living in it?” 

"You're right," Zuko said simply, to her shock. His chest was heaving as if he’d fought a thousand battles, his eyes glistening under the searing sunlight. "I made a mistake. I should never have hurt you like that or let it go this far." He swallowed, blinking furiously. "But it's so much worse out there now. I-I can’t do it alone. They've taken so much from me-"

He stopped abruptly, and Katara noticed his hands were white fists, quivering with rage. His words had traces of the old passionate anger she once remembered, but when he opened his mouth again, it was the cool voice that emerged, his agitated face melting into smooth stone. "I understand why you don't trust me. I really do. But this is bigger than you and I, and you have to believe me when I tell you that I need your help, and you need mine. There's a reason the Avatar had you all by his side, and I think once we find the White Lotus, we might still have a chance. The world can't survive much longer the way it has."

She hated to admit it, but his words were starting to chip away at her shield. Perhaps it was the raw honesty in his voice, but something struck a chord that told her to hear him out for a moment longer.

With a breath, she released her control over the nature around them, the forest swaying back to its idle peace, the sky shimmering a tranquil blue. The knife slipped lower in her hands so it now drew level to his chest. "How are we supposed to change the tides?" she asked with a tinge of hysteria. "How is the White Lotus supposed to help? There's no way we can take on Ozai or Azula. To even reach them would be a suicide in itself."

"I'm not asking for your help to kill my father and my sister." He was turned towards her full-on now, so she could see both the damaged tissue carved into pale skin, and the drawn regal features twisted in anticipation. His face was distinctly older, thinner, and lined with exhaustion. The passionate fury that once lit his eyes on fire had dulled into simmering embers, though she could still feel its determined intensity. This wasn't the same boy that chased them around the world, or the boy that betrayed them under Ba Sing Se. She wasn't sure what he was now.

"Then what do you want us to do?"

"We're going to save the Avatar."

She gaped at him, not quite sure if she'd heard him properly.

Zuko smiled at her, mistaking her stunned silence to continue excitedly. "Isn't that great?" he exclaimed, raising his arms up as if offering the world. "It's about time someone did. He's the only one that can put an end to all this. It isn't our destiny to take down the Phoenix King, but his. And we're going to help him make that destiny a reality. What do you say?"

Her mouth worked soundlessly for a moment, before erupting in a frustrated yell. "You're so full of it!" Katara burst out, angrily. "Everyone knows the Avatar is gone! Azula attacked him in his Avatar State, and I didn't have enough time to heal him. He's gone, Zuko. If you're just going to taunt me about it, I swear, I'll impale you where you stand." As if to emphasise her point, she raised both hands and flicked them upwards, calling on dozens of streams of water to spiral from the ground and shift into spikes floating in the air. With another twist, they turned and faced the bemused firebender.

_Keep it together. Don't breakdown._

Oh, but it didn't stop what was left of her heart breaking one more time. 

Zuko's smile faded, and he stared at her, ignoring the threat on his life. "You don't actually believe that, do you?" he asked quietly. "Is that why you haven't come out of hiding?"

She didn't trust herself to respond without crying.

"You have my word that he's alive, Katara. I've seen him myself."

He's lying. No, no, she saw him fall. She had felt the lack of life in his body. If there was one thing her hands would always remember, it was the abyss it felt beneath its fingertips. 

She barely registered that he'd taken a step forward towards her, his expression open and vulnerable. "I wouldn't be here if he wasn't." Zuko pressed insistently. "He isn't in a condition to free himself, so we're going to have to do it for him. You have to believe it." He took another step, only to retreat when she raised her hands and pushed the spikes a little closer. 

"How am I supposed to trust you?" she murmured, softly, still not daring to hope. "Even if you're telling the truth, that h-he is alive and you want to save him, how will this work if I don't believe you won't stab me in the back?" _Again_ , she added silently.

Zuko stared at her impassively, his jaw clenched. "What do you want me to do?" he asked, his hands outstretched in surrender. "I'll do anything you ask, I swear it." 

She couldn't make this decision without the others. They would provide reason to this insanity, and Toph could always catch him out if he was lying. Worse came to worst, there was six of them against one of him. They could take him down, if necessary.

And he had to see how they were living, what everyone was like. He had to see how his choice in Ba Sing Se had irrevocably damaged them, had stripped them of their honour and dignity. Three years was a long time to change anyone.

Katara dropped her water spikes, to his surprise, and walked over to her discarded rucksack to find a chain. He'd melted out of her ice once before, but she doubted even he could cut through metal. "I'm taking you to see everyone," she announced in determination, whipping around. "They'll help me decide what to do, so you should hope your little innocent act is up to par." She reached for his hands and he held them out without objection. Seeing him disarmed helped calm some of her frayed nerves screaming at her not to take such a stupid risk. But another part - the hopeful, naive part she'd thought had withered away, was bursting at the seams, singing  _please let him be right._

"If you firebend, I'm pushing you off the cliff. If you grab your swords, I'm pushing you off the cliff. If you try and do anything I did not tell you to do-"

"Let me guess," Zuko finished drily, "you'll push me off the cliff?"

"Don't test me," Katara growled at him, binding his hands quickly. If it was too tight, he showed no sign.

Heaving the rucksack on her back, she grabbed his swords in her hands and took one final look at him.

How desperate had she become?

He flashed her a half-smile and small bow. "After you." 


	3. choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko meets the survivors of the Western Air Temple and offers them a choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! 
> 
> Just wanted to send a quick thank you to everyone who left kudos/bookmarked/commented the last time around. It's so lovely to hear what you guys think! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy the new (and long whoop) chapter! :)

Toph stumbled into the open balcony with a grumble, rubbing her eyes. She'd been jolted awake at the crack of dawn by a certain waterbender who still hadn't figured out how to sneak around properly. No matter how much she'd tossed and turned, sleep eluded her for hours. Suffice to say, Toph was not in the best of moods at the moment. 

"Ah, Toph, finally! Quick question: if we were all trapped at the bottom of a volcano, how high could you propel us in the air? And assuming the base of the volcano is wider than its opening, how quickly would you be able to calculate the angle to launch us over the edge before we'd be devoured by molten hot lava?"

She groaned. Sokka was in one of his moods again where he concocted another outlandish scheme for saving the world, pure adrenaline coursing through his veins. The other day, he'd asked if she could create a monster mud army that shot metal disks out of their eyes. The week before that, he'd calmly suggested she craft a gigantic boomerang and throw it at the Fire Palace. 

It was a testament of how long they'd been stuck here that Toph didn't think it was such a bad idea. Not that she'd tell him, of course.

"Sokka, ease up on her! It's way too early in the morning for that. Take a breather, will you?" Haru's voice drifted in, heavy with yawning. "There'll be plenty of time to plan after breakfast. Nothing really happens around here, remember?"

The squeal of wheels and a patter of feet told her Teo and The Duke had joined in, chuckling to themselves. "Give him a break, Haru," Teo chimed in. "He hasn't had breakfast yet. You know how high-strung he is without food."

"I'm right here! And that is _not_ true. I'll have you know, that I am fully capable of being a functional, respectable member of society even without adequate nourishment-"

"I hear Sugar Queen coming."

"- oh, thank the Spirits!" Sokka sped towards the empty campfire and whizzed about, clanging pots and pans together. "Haru, get a bowl of water! Teo, light the stove! The sooner we get this prepared, the sooner we have food, and the sooner we can get back to the drawing board. Efficiency, men, come on!" He snapped his fingers repeatedly and everyone started scurrying around, finding wayward ladles and throwing together bowls on the table.

Toph, however, had stopped paying attention. The earthbender stood in the archway, frozen as she listened to the world beneath her feet. 

Alongside Katara's was another set of footsteps, unfamiliar and heavier. A man, maybe? Another refugee?

"Guys," she called out to the bustling group. "Guys, I hear something."

Sokka was busy feeding the flames, patting around for extra wood on the floor. "Well, Toph, I should really hope so. Because if you can't hear anything, then we'd _really_ be screwed."

She resisted the urge to throw a rock at his head. "No, you idiot. I mean I hear someone else. Katara isn't alone."

A deathly silence fell in the room, as if all the air had been stolen from their lungs.

"Which way are they coming?" Sokka asked quietly, his heart quickening. 

"The east entrance." 

Haru drew The Duke back as he faced the closed doors, moving into a bending stance. Teo reached under his wheelchair for a makeshift bow and drew an arrow with deft fingers. Sokka leaned over to grab his sword from under his blanket and made motions at the other boys to stay out of direct sight. If Katara was forced to lead someone here, then they needed the element of surprise. Behind him, Toph stood at the wings, ready to fling any intruder off the cliff if necessary.

She felt The Duke's heart speed up infinitely, and her own stomach churn like ocean waves. It had been a long time since anyone had come around. Friend or foe, she wasn't sure how comfortable she was with change at this point.

They held their breath, and waited.

 

oOo

 

"The Western Air Temple," Zuko muttered, sauntering down the steps. He eyed the ruins in astonishment. The sun was high in the sky at this point, highlighting the jagged cliff face like rotten teeth. The forest above had crept downwards to consume the crumbling walls, the Temple clawing its way through foliage and rock like the hand of a drowning man. There was a brutal beauty to it; a tapestry woven with the threads of life and decay. Katara thought it almost beautiful, in its own way. 

"I can't believe no one's found you yet."

She narrowed her eyes. "Just shows how incompetent the Fire Nation is at basic tyranny," Katara retorted condescendingly behind him, his own twin blades pointing at his back. He stumbled often, unfamiliar with the worn and missing steps she knew off by heart. She didn't bother helping him.

He snorted. "Still ruling the world, remember?"

It was hard to forget.

His swords felt heavy and awkward in her hands. As a waterbender, Katara relied entirely on her element to fight, to heal, to survive. However, after Sokka's insistence - _What if you're trapped in a desert or a volcano with a hundred Fire Nation soldiers? What are you gonna do then? See, this is why I got both the brain and the brawn in the family. Hey, watch the whip! -_ she was experimenting with daggers, which were light and flexible, much like water. Swords, on the other hand, were still a little too much for her. 

But Zuko held them as an extension of himself, as if he'd long been trained in the arts. He'd used them to cut her off earlier, rather than his own firebending, as if he trusted the steel more than the flame. 

"Why do you bother with your blades so much?" Katara asked suddenly, her curiosity brewing. "What, did you get bored with setting things on fire?" 

He glanced back at her, ignoring the jibe. The silver glittered like captured starlight under the sun. "There's no harm in a back-up," he explained with a shrug. His good eye twitched imperceptibly. "You can't always rely on your bending."

Katara blinked at him mutely, terror creeping up her spine. Her element was her very spirit - if she couldn't rely on it to protect her, what was left? What kind of world had it become where benders doubted what made them whole?

"You said everything was so much worse now," she blurted out, jumping over steps to walk beside him. "What did you mean by that? What's happening?"

Though they ventured out to ransack the occasional base for supplies or to disguise themselves as citizens to glimpse any news of their allies, they were still vastly cut off from the rest of the world. As desperate as Katara was to learn of what was happening to the Southern Water Tribe or where the war prisoners were being transported again, inquiring too much raised suspicions and they were forced to eavesdrop on meaningless conversation. People weren't careless - they knew there were spies everywhere. The Avatar had become a taboo subject and speaking of anything remotely controversial could very well lead to some unpleasant circumstances. Once, they had attempted to take a soldier hostage to glean information on the whereabouts of their fathers and friends.

It didn't end well. They were surrounded by reinforcements within minutes and barely escaped with their lives. It had taken her hours to heal everyone, and they all still wore the scars on their skin. 

"Well," his voice snapped her back to reality, hesitant as it grasped for words, "it's...unforgiving." 

"That's always been the case," Katara pressed impatiently.

"No," he replied, his jaw clenching as he stared ahead. "No, it hasn't. No one is safe anymore. Not even the Fire Nation itself." 

She frowned at his ambiguity and opened her mouth to push further before deciding that, for the moment, she savoured her ignorance. 

"You know," Zuko piped up suddenly, "I used to think that once the Fire Nation took over, everything would be better. The war would be over, and we could be a great nation again. Honorable. We'd bring balance to the chaos." There was a delicate wistfulness in his tone that set her teeth on edge. 

"There's your first problem," the waterbender snapped. "It was never _your_ job to bring balance. Now we're suffering the consequences because you stopped the only person who could."

There was no answer.

 

oOo

 

"Sokka."

"Not now, Toph."

_"Sokka."_

"Toph, I'm busy." 

"Snoozles,  _will you just listen to me?"_

"What?" the Water Tribe boy whipped around towards her, clutching his sword. "Can't you see I'm trying to focus? We don't know who this is-"

"Exactly," Toph replied insistently. "We _don't_ know who this is. It could be a friend."

"I doubt that," he countered. "We haven't seen a friend in years."

"Even then, try not to strike first and ask questions later. We don't want to regret anything."

Sokka took a deep breath and turned back to the entrance. "We'll see," he muttered in resignation. "We've suffered before because we didn't strike first."

Toph decided not to press him further. Despite the growl in his voice, his heart raced in his chest like a dragonfly hummingbird and she could almost taste the anxiety emanating off his skin in waves. Instead, she turned her attentions to the footsteps as they grew louder, making out vibrations that slowly shaped into words.

"...bring balance to the chaos."

"There's your first problem. It was never your job to bring balance. Now we're suffering the consequences because you stopped the only person who could."

She sucked a breath in. No way. That wasn't _possible_. 

"Toph?" a deep concerned voice asked behind her. "You okay? You sort of just...stiffened."

"Haru, stop talking! We don't want them to hear us!" Sokka hissed.

"Why? I'm pretty sure they already know we're here!"

"You don't know that! What if it's an enemy and Katara's expecting us to hide?"

"Then why aren't you hiding, Mr I'll-Stand-Right-In-Front-Of-The-Entrance?"

"Someone has to confront them and save their little sister-"

"-Oh, because she's just _so_ incapable of saving herself-"

"-I'm just trying to look out for her-"

"-What, by getting yourself killed?"

 _"Both of you, shut up!_ I think they're here!"

The boys fell silent at Toph's heated whisper-yell, turning back to the entrance with a huff. She ignored them as she tuned into her surroundings, her mind still whirling from recognising this 'new' intruder.

 

oOo

 

"No one's going to jump out and throw me off the cliff, are they?" Zuko asked, stopping to stare at the temple entrance in trepidation.

Katara climbed down the last few steps to join him on the landing, shrugging nonchalantly. "Well, can't blame them if they do. It's not like you don't deserve it." 

The Fire Prince sighed, looking wearier than ever. "I probably shouldn't expect anything less." 

Katara rolled her eyes and moved to push the doors. For a moment, she thought she heard yelling from the inside, but it quickly fell silent as she drew closer. Taking a deep breath and praying no one would hate her for this, Katara shoved the doors wide open. Behind her, Zuko cleared his throat. 

There was silence: curt, oppressive, and trapping them in its web of anticipation.

And then Sokka charged.

 

oOo

 

"What did you do that for? You could have killed him!"

"He tried to attack me with a sword! What did you expect me to do, welcome him with open arms?"

"So you throw a fireball at him? I would have handled it! You're lucky Toph didn't throw you off the cliff!"

"Oh, so I should probably thank you for freezing me to the ceiling before that happened!"

Katara released a frustrated cry and turned to bend over her groaning brother, her hands glowing over the fast-growing lump on his head. The wall he had collided at speed with suffered a sizable Sokka-imprinted dent, a cloud of dust showering over them. 

"Is he...is he going to be alright?" the small voice of The Duke asked, his hands grasping Haru's clothes fiercely. They were crouched around the Water Tribe boy, Haru checking for any broken bones. Further away, Toph and Teo stood under a seething Zuko, armed and glaring. She almost shivered under the weight of everyone's disapproval bearing down on her, but she appreciated the restraint they were exercising when she knew they were desperate to rip into her. 

"He'll be fine," Katara said kindly, plastering a smile in reassurance. "But I think we should be a little more worried about him gaining consciousness. He isn't going to be very happy."

"Sugar Queen, that's the least of our concerns right now," Toph interjected drily, folding her arms over her chest. "Maybe there's something you'd like to share with the rest of us?" 

There was little point in delaying the inevitable. Katara gave Sokka another once-over. The Duke was dabbing a wet cloth on his head cautiously, and she smiled at his efforts. Satisfied her brother would live, she stood up slowly and glanced around at the crowd of faces staring back her in a mix of scepticism and fear.

"So," the waterbender began hesitantly, twisting her hands, "you're all probably wondering why there's a Fire Prince frozen to our ceiling. I can explain."

"Go on," Toph said, her tone clipped. "I'm sure it'll be fascinating."

Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly like a koi fish, unsure of how to begin. Standing here, under the scrutinising gaze of her friends, she wondered what madness possessed her to bring a firebender into their sanctuary. She was tainting their world that had remained untouched for so long, shattering the quiet illusion of peace they'd worked so hard to create. 

The words almost failed on her lips. But a storm was brewing inside her, a cacophony of fear and hope that grew wildflowers from the wasteland of her heart for the first time in three years. She lifted her head up and caught the golden gaze of Zuko watching her in quiet contemplation. 

"He says the Avatar's alive," she declared. "And Prince Zuko wants our help to bring him back." 

In the minutes that followed, Katara realised there was no sound more deafening than silence. 

Haru was breathing hard beside her, frozen but for the stuttering rise and fall of his chest. The happy mask Teo always sported had slipped, revealing something raw and anguished. 

Toph's face gave nothing away, so still it may have been carved from stone. Somehow, that unnerved Katara more than anything. 

"You," the earthbender suddenly shattered the moment, turning to point at Zuko. Everyone flinched in surprise. "I want to hear it from you."

The Fire Prince was almost twelve feet in the air, spread-eagled between a blanket of ice and the ceiling of the balcony. His hair flopped in front of his yellow eyes, and despite his demeaning position, he still managed a regal air as he surveyed the ragged crowd beneath him.

"The Avatar has been held prisoner for the last three years," he stated. His voice was calm, expressionless, as if he didn't hold the weight of the world in his words. "Unfortunately, he's not in a conscious state to escape, so he needs help. I can't do it alone, and neither can you, so I'm here asking for a truce so we can work together." 

"Toph?" Katara asked quietly. "Is he being honest?" 

The other girl tilted her head, frowning. No one dared utter a sound, and Katara realised how much she was hoping he was telling the truth. She didn't think her heart could survive otherwise. 

This could be it. The chance they'd been waiting for. The chance to make a difference.

"His heart's pounding like a raging goat-gorilla," Toph finally said, her brow furrowing. "He's nervous." 

"Can you blame me?" Zuko protested indignantly from above. "I'm stuck to a ceiling with ice that could melt at any minute, and a floor below me that doesn't look very soft. How calm do you expect I'd be?" 

Teo shrugged. "He has a point, you know." 

Toph rolled her eyes and muttered something about weakness before she slammed her foot against the floor. A column of rock burst from the roof above Zuko, slamming into his back and breaking the ice. He face-planted on the ground with a yell. The shattered remains of Katara's icy prison cascaded down like snowflakes around them as they surrounded the groaning firebender warily. 

"A heads-up would have been nice," came Zuko's muffled complaint. 

"I'll be sure to send notice next time, Sparky," Toph replied drily. 

With a wince, the prince pulled himself up to his knees, spluttering dust from his mouth. The unscarred side of his face was an angry red from where it collided with the floor, his hair sticking up at odd angles. He didn't look particularly threatening at the moment, despite the furious looks he shot everyone, but Katara couldn't take any chances. With a wave of her hands, she lifted the remnant ice shards around them and moulded them into spears, training them towards Zuko. 

"Oh sure," he muttered sarcastically, eyeing the blades tiredly. "Threaten me with bodily harm again, why don't you? That should calm my heart right down." 

"Enough, ash-maker," Haru sneered, glaring at the prince. "Tell us the real reason you're here." 

Zuko bristled at the insult, turning his burning gaze on the earthbender. "I _told_ you," he insisted impatiently through clenched teeth. "We have to save the Avatar, and we need each other to do it." 

"Toph?" Katara asked again, a tinge of desperation in her voice. "Got anything?" 

"I think he's telling the truth," Toph answered back, her bottom lip quivering. "He's nervous but not afraid. He's here alone and unguarded, but he's unafraid. That says a lot, doesn't it?" 

Katara inhaled deeply, her heart skipping a beat, turning back to the interrogation at hand. Her head was clouding and she idly wondered if she was caught in some sort of dream. 

_The Avatar lives._

"Aang," she whispered, half in hope, half in agony. 

Another silence draped around the group but unlike before, there was an undercurrent of optimism, of excitement that had been absent for so long. It danced around them, filling them with light. 

"Do you know where he is?" Teo piped up, lowering his bow and dragging her to the present. A fearful smile played on his face, as if he wasn't quite sure what to do with it. 

The firebender hesitated. "No," he admitted reluctantly. "Azula's paranoid. She changes his location every few months and gives false information out to those she doesn't trust. I don't know where he is, but I know how to find him." He lifted his chin, and looked straight at Katara. "The White Lotus," he said levelly.

"What's the White Lotus?" Haru asked in confusion, glancing around. 

Slowly, Zuko reached into his pocket and revealed the tile he'd shown her earlier. "A secret organisation that transcends nations. They're lead by the greatest masters in this world, striving for peace." He swallowed thickly. "My uncle is one of them. He's always been the best of all of us." His hand clasped over the lotus tile and he looked up. "They've remained out of Ozai and Azula's reach so far, but I've been tracking their movements for two years. They're fighting back and they're the only ones you can trust." 

"And they'd know where Aang is...because...they're a bunch of old guys?" Haru trailed off doubtfully with a frown. 

Zuko shot him a look of pure venom. "Those  _old guys_ have done more for the resistance than you have," he snapped. "Their network spans the entire world. No one knows how many members there are or what they look like, but if anyone would have valuable information we'd need on the Fire Nation, it's them. I'd bet they know exactly where the Avatar is, too." 

That gentle flower of hope blooming in Katara's chest wilted in sudden anger. "If they know where he is, why haven't they saved him already?" the waterbender demanded. The spears still floating in the air quivered under her grasp. Zuko watched them warily. 

"I don't know," he said simply. "I'll be sure to ask when I see them. But what I _do_ know is that you're the Avatar's closest friends. If anyone was going to try and save him, shouldn't it be you?" 

Everyone looked at each other in mutual agreement. 

"You're right," Toph interrupted, folding her arms over her chest. "Aang is our responsibility. But what's in it for you? We thought you were dead. No one's heard from you in over two years. Now you just show up on our doorstep and demand our help. What's your deal, Sparky?" 

Zuko shifted uncomfortably from where he knelt on the floor, avoiding everyone's eyes. His expression was smooth as eggshells. Katara would have almost thought him carved from porcelain if not for the scar swallowing the left side of his face. They all watched him closely, curiosity brewing in the air. 

When Sozin's comet arrived three years ago and the world finally crumbled in fire and blood, Ozai had named Azula his Fire Lord and claimed the title of Phoenix King. At that point, Katara and the others had been overwhelmed in their grief and had spared little thought for the boy who should have worn the crown, but had slipped into the shadows instead. 

Two years ago, they'd heard rumours that finally did pique their interest. 

_Don't you know? The Fire Lord executed her own brother! Treason, they say. No wonder his father refused him his birthright, the bloody scoundrel!_

_Oh, I'd heard he'd grown mad with jealousy. He absolutely hated seeing a competent woman in power. Something to do with his mother, I bet. He tried to murder his own sister while she slept! I'm so glad our dear Fire Lord stopped him. One less madman on the streets, I say._

_My cousin told me he drowned at sea. The little bastard just got up one day and abandoned his country to sail away on a broken boat. He barely lasted a day. Serves the fool right for turning his back on our great empire!_

There had been so many different stories swirling around the sudden absence of the ex-Crown Prince, but all of them lead to the same conclusion: Prince Zuko was dead. 

Until he wasn't. 

"My sister and I had a...disagreement," Zuko remarked idly, his face blank. The lack of emotion unnerved her. 

"And what was that?" Katara pressed on, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "What did you do, Zuko?" 

He gave her a hard look. "What _didn't_ I do?" His voice broke on desperation, an intensity that cut her deep in her bones. She couldn't look away from his stare. "This isn't the world I wanted," he whispered harshly. "I've made mistakes in the past and I suffered for it but I'm trying to set things right." The fire in his eyes dulled, and he leaned back on his feet. His face grew impossibly paler under the weight of his exhaustion. "You're not the only ones who paid the ultimate price." 

He laughed then, brittle and hollow. Katara could feel Haru shudder softly beside her, and Teo anxiously clenching his hands. Toph stood immobile, always listening. 

Nobody knew what to say next.

"You have a choice now," Zuko declared in a commanding voice, the blood of kings coursing through his veins. "For the last three years, you've cowered here while the world burned around you. I'm offering you a chance to take it back."

"We haven't decided if we trust you, yet," Katara cut in, scathingly, though she lowered her ice spears. 

He released a frustrated sigh. "We don't have time for that!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "I'm not asking for you to trust me. I'm asking for your help, but if you don't want to give it - if you'd rather just keep on with your half-lives in this temple, then  _fine._ " He glared at them. "But I won't. I'm going through with this, and whether you all join me is your call."

His words hung in the air like a swinging noose.

"He's right," a voice from behind made them jump. Katara whipped around to see Sokka leaning against the wall, The Duke's wet rag in his hand, pressed against the back of his head.

"When did you wake up? Why didn't you say anything?" the waterbender chided, hands on her hip. The shock sent her ice spears collapsing into pools of water at their feet.

"Almost immediately," Sokka said, shooting an apologetic smile. "And I didn't want to interrupt." He dropped the rag and walked forward, eyeing the firebender with bright interest. "As much as it pains me to say it, Zuko's right." 

There was a collective gasp. 

"What? It's true!" he said insistently. "We can't keep living like this," he waved his arms around the deteriorating walls, at the place they called home. "This can barely be considered living and I'm tired of feeling so useless." He kicked a rock in frustration. "If there's even the slightest chance at fighting back and making a difference, let's take it. What do we have to lose?" 

"Each other," Katara mumbled, wrapping her arms around herself. 

Sokka gave her a gentle look, reaching out to grasp her shoulders firmly. "Don't trust him, Katara," he said quietly. "Trust me instead. I have a good feeling about this."

Katara's eyes roamed from a determined Sokka to a stunned Zuko, who sat watching her brother with widened eyes. Whatever he'd expected Sokka's reaction to be, it clearly had not been this. 

This Zuko had been defined by this new world more than they had - it had moulded him in ways that had never touched them. And yet, he still had so much more hope than their whole group put together. He believed the Avatar was alive, when everyone else had long mourned his passing.

Trust was a gift, and Zuko had worn out her generosity years ago.  

But there was no one she trusted more than her brother. And if Sokka had faith in him, then she had faith in his judgement, as fearful as it made her.

"Okay," Katara said, clinging onto this new-found ray of light. "Let's do it."

For the first time in a long, long time, her fear felt good.

 

oOo

 

The silence in the cell was deafening.

He lay here, still and dreaming, his eyes moving under his eyelids in the soft rhythms of a sea. Though confined in a concrete box, with an all-consuming darkness, he roamed free in his mind. Not alone, no, never alone.

The floor below, a series of cages stood, row after row - unaware of the remarkable being above them. Flesh and shackles slammed against the bars, and those that had not lost their voices already scream into the air where no one cared to hear them. Not even him, in his faraway land. He could not hear their pleas, their unforgiving glares, their prayers for a hope that lay only feet away from them. To him, they did not exist - and they might as well not, lying within these formidable walls, in this manmade hell.

_She struck him with lightening in his Avatar State._

As they rocked themselves back and forth, in between their sobs for help, they remember him.

_He didn't see it coming._

It's a tale the guards have grown fond of telling, should some semblance of hope somehow survive in this place of despair.

_The Avatar fell._

You would be a fool if you did not think so. 

 

oOo

 

In this faraway land, he flew free, unbound and unhurt. If it was an illusion, he couldn't say. He stood on a rock, gazing around at the misty surroundings. The world was peaceful here. Safe, in ways he'd almost forgotten how. He took a deep breath, revelling in this moment of freedom. His memories were hazy, drifting with the ever-lasting wind.

_What happened?_

_Where am I?_

_The catacombs...Azula..._

_Katara._

_Oh no. I have to get back. I have to-_

"Hello, Aang."


	4. promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara makes a promise and Aang finds a new mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! 
> 
> Thank you so much for all your support last time around! Always such a pleasure to hear what you think <3 :) 
> 
> Happy reading!

The day passed by like a hungry snake, tense and brimming with anticipation. In its wake glided a starry night, a thousand colours sparkling over the ghostly silence of the forest.

Following Sokka's support of Zuko's plans, the rest of the group complied with various degrees of excitement. Teo and The Duke trusted Sokka implicitly, and set about gathering belongings here and there as they talked about the trip. Haru had remained stoically silent, reluctantly helping the others with packing while pointedly ignoring the Water Tribe boy. 

Toph, on the other hand, was ambiguous. She, like her fellow earthbender, never outright challenged Sokka's decision, but she offered to watch the firebender. Katara initially thought she'd hound him for more answers, but she'd simply stood aside and regarded him quietly. Zuko sat calmly where he'd fallen, crossed legs as he appraised the movements around him. There was a curious glean in his eyes she couldn't understand, and Katara found herself pausing more than once while packing to watch him closely, a frown on her face.

She wasn't sure what to believe. Katara trusted Sokka just as Teo and The Duke did - more, in fact. Without him, she doubted any of them would have been able to survive as long they had. It was his planning and his decisions that had kept them from capture so far, and she wasn't about to undermine his authority now. They all had reasons to distrust the Fire Nation - but Sokka, out of everyone there, would have been the first to refuse Zuko's help. The fact he didn't reminded her so much of Aang, of his optimistic trust in those around him. 

She smiled briefly, letting the image of a laughing boy with a blue arrow and promise in his eyes hang around her like radiant sunlight, warm against her skin. It soothed some of the waves of fear roiling in her stomach. 

It would be the first time in three years that they were leaving the Western Air Temple with no intention of returning. It frightened her. They would be stripped of what kept them from the unforgiving face of the world, baring them to its realities. And as she stood at the entrance, on the threshold of a new beginning and an old life, it took all her restraint not to drop her stuff and crawl into a corner.

When she emerged into the entrance hall, Sokka and Haru were taking rounds of the temple, checking for any wayward belongings. It would not do to leave behind scents that could be traced back to them, as Zuko had kindly demonstrated. Teo sat on his wheelchair in the corner, counting his arrows and checking supplies. The Duke stood beside her, kicking a rock here and there to entertain himself, his bag strapped to his back. The eleven-year old had grown rapidly before her eyes, and it still stunned her that the boy before them was almost at the age _he_ had been when setting out to change the course of history. Just the thought of sending The Duke out alone to find food had her in hysterics. 

Shaking her head furiously to physically rid herself of wayward thoughts, she caught Zuko's eyes staring at her from across the room, as if he'd heard her thoughts. She shot him a glare until he looked away. 

"Right, I think that's all of it," Sokka announced, wiping his hands as he entered the room. 

Haru swung his rucksack over his shoulder and folded his arms. "What do we do about the ash-maker?" 

Sokka frowned, "What do you mean?" 

"You can't expect us to just walk around with him," Haru stressed, raising his eyebrows. "I don't trust him. We can bind his hands or something, just until we know it's safe." 

"Or we could just let _him_ walk free because this is after all, _his_ idea."

They all whipped their heads at Zuko.

"Well, don't get too excited." he continued drily. "I'm simply pointing out that you'll be wasting your time and efforts. I'm not the enemy here, and I promise you, we'll be encountering some on the way." Zuko pointedly looked at the ceiling, avoiding their stares. "I mean, as someone who's been on the inside of things, I could really help if there was a problem. But if my hands are bound then..."

"Alright, you made your point," Sokka interrupted with a roll of his eyes. "Get up and help us with our luggage then. The Duke can't carry all his stuff on his own."

A thick silence settled between them, bewildered eyes flickering between the firebender and the Water Tribe boy, the latter casually zipping his bag. Katara stepped forward in hesitation. "Sokka..." she began uncertainly, "not that I'm saying you're being reckless or anything but-"

"Are you insane?" Haru interrupted, heated. "Or did you purposefully forget how he slammed you into the wall? I think you killed some brain cells there, Sokka. It's one thing to follow this absurd plan of his - it's entirely another to assume he's one of us now. Isn't it enough that you're willingly risking everyone's lives, but now you're openly trusting him to walk around with no restraint?"

Her brother took a deep breath, and turned to face the earthbender, his eyes stirring in blue fire. "No, I haven't forgotten," he said through gritted teeth. "I haven't forgotten that this is Prince Zuko, who chased us around the world. Who helped Azula capture Ba Sing Se. Who's helped turn the world into what it is today. Of course I haven't forgotten!" He threw his hands in the air. "But you know what? I can't afford to think of the past anymore! He's supposedly been dead for two years, but he shows up at our door asking for our help. Excuse me for giving him the benefit of the doubt. So I'm _sorry_ , Haru, if I'm taking a leap of faith and an opportunity to leave this hellhole. Even if it means risking my life and putting it in the hands of a traitor. I can't spend another moment here anymore. If you want to stay, then _stay._ No one's forcing you to go." 

Haru's jaw clenched but he remained where he stood. 

Sokka sighed, and rubbed his face, looking exhausted beyond his years. "Zuko's right in one sense. If we have him bound all the time and someone sees, it could raise a lot of questions. Besides, he's a master firebender. I'm pretty sure he'd know how to escape if he really wanted to. I'm telling all of you again. You don't have to trust him, but you  _can_ trust me." His voice was soft and pleading.

His words hung in the air like dewdrops. 

Haru glared at nothing, but didn't reply. A heartbeat later, he grabbed The Duke's bags from the boy and moved towards the prince, dropping them at his feet. Zuko stood up gingerly, brushing off the dust and looked down at the bags in surprise. A small smile graced his face, snapping something in the waterbender in its satisfaction.

Katara stalked up to him, tilting her head in a glower. "Fine," she said, a finger jabbed at his chest. "You've succeeded. We're going to help you. But I'm warning you." She looked into his eyes then, hoping her own were as ablaze as his were. "You and I both know you've struggled with doing the right thing in the past. So let me make myself clear. You make one step backward, one slip-up. Give me one reason to think you might hurt the people I care about, and you won't have to worry about the fate of the world anymore. Because you won't be a part of it. And this time, I won't hesitate."

Beneath the dim light of burning torches, he looked so much younger and softer. Only the striking stain of scar consuming his face damaged the image: a reminder of the tarnished family he belonged to, of the blood that ran through his veins.

Zuko nodded stiffly, his eyes flickering but never leaving hers.

"Now that we've established we're all friends, is it time to go?"

Teo's voice broke the intensity, and Katara spun on her heel to stalk off, her heart hammering.

She moved to stand in the doorway, waiting for the others to pass her before she went on. She wanted a moment alone with the temple, a chance to say goodbye. They had some good memories here, despite it all. It was a place that would hold a piece of her forever, three years of her life that had changed her more than the fourteen before that. It had offered a light, a refuge, when everything around her grew dark. 

It was home.

Sokka paused momentarily beside her and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze in understanding, and she returned his smile. Zuko brought up the rear, and she pointedly stared at a rock to avoid his eye.

Just when he'd walked by her and she shifted to look into the entrance hall, a hand snaked out and touched her elbow. Without thinking, she turned and slammed her knee into his stomach. Zuko gasped and dropped his hand, clutching his sides. The others were too far ahead to hear, much to her appreciation. This would have been difficult to explain.

"Don't do that," Katara snapped, taking a step away from him. "I'm already jittery as it is!"

Yellow eyes narrowed, and he hissed through gritted teeth, "Right. Next time, I'll tap with you a ten foot pole." He groaned. "Are you always so aggressive?" 

She drew herself up. "Aggressive? There's nothing wrong with some defensive manoeuvres. I'm not helpless, you know. I've survived this long."

"Oh, and I wonder who's to thank for that. Seems like you've already forgotten." 

She didn't forget. In the catacombs, so long ago, she had almost met her end. But he had made a decision, and now they were here, an ironic dance of destiny.

"Of course I haven't forgotten," Katara muttered softly, guilt brewing in her chest. She didn't particularly feel like apologising, however, instead asking, "What do you want, Zuko? Everyone's probably assumed we've murdered each other, so hurry it up."

Zuko stood up straight then, regarding her in a cool stare. "I just wanted to add something to your little speech back there. It's all very well and good to assume I might want to hurt your loved ones, but I wanted to make my point clear, too."

He took a step towards her. She took a step back.

"This works both ways. I have people I care about as well and I'm here because I want to protect them, and the Avatar is my only option." A shadow passed over his face. "But if you lay a finger on any of them, even in the name of justice, then you'll have me to deal with."

"Protecting criminals, are we?" she sneered. 

His voice was thin as ice. "Careful, Katara. You don't want to play judge, jury or executioner. It's a dangerous game, and frankly, there are no winners." 

He turned to walk up the steps then, leaving the question to die on Katara's lips.

 

oOo

 

"Yue!"

The tension that had gripped Aang's heart disappeared as his eyes lay on the hovering woman before him, entrancing in her own way. The white of her dress swayed to unseen winds and her soft glow lit up the shimmering clouds that circled her. Her skin glittered in this world as if a thousand stars were woven into her bones. A wave of peace overwhelmed him standing here in her presence.

"Listen to me, Aang. This is important," her voice held such concern, the old fear began creeping in again. "You were struck by lightening in your Avatar State and your Spirit has been injured. You are in danger of losing connection to it and your past lives forever if you do not move quickly."

Sudden flashes of blue moved across his eyes and he cringed, despite knowing it could not hurt him here. "I...I don't know what I should do," he admitted sadly. "I failed to protect everyone." He hung his head.

There was a soft touch on his chin and he looked up to Yue's kind eyes. "No, Aang, you didn't fail. You still have a chance. You must find Wan, the very first Avatar." The young airbender's eyes widened. "He is your key to reconnecting with your Spirit. Your past lives will try and help you on the way, but I warn you: there are Dark Spirits here that are not your friends. They will try and lead you astray, but you _cannot_ let them. They will only delay you."

Aang furrowed his eyebrows. "Delay me?"

"Time, I'm sure you have come to realise, is not the same in the Spirit World," Yue explained patiently. "There is no concept of it here. The parallel universe with your world is not regular. What may seem like hours here may be weeks in the physical world. It is unreliable, and it is best we do not tempt it. You have to find Wan as soon as possible, Aang. The world cannot survive without you for very long."

Her last words struck a chord. As he watched her fade away, a protest already on his lips, his heart threatened to hammer out of his chest.

Find the first Avatar? He didn't even know what Wan _looked_ like!

As soon as possible? But where was he even supposed to start looking? Under a rock? Where do ten-thousand-year old Avatars even hang out these days?

_How was he supposed to save the world now?_

Hysteria rose in him like a tsunami and he scrunched his eyes closed to slow his breathing down. Silence pressed against him and he focused on meditating into a state of calm. You can do this. You found Koh, you'll find Wan too.

The tranquil atmosphere morphed into something more. His eyes still shut, the young airbender listened as the lack of sound become a cacophony of different melodic twittering. A breeze whipped around him and he felt the warm touch of a sun. Taking a peek through one eye, he blanched when he found himself in the middle of a green meadow with tall mutated leaves, stretching upwards to a pale yellow sky. There was a veil of sweetness hanging in the air, dangling lightly under his nose. Aang breathed it all in with a pleased sigh. Violet and red flowers swayed gently around his feet, and a chuckle erupted from his lips when he saw a small animal jumping around him in excitement.

"Hey there, little guy!" he said, brightly. "Think you can help me find someone important? I'm looking for a guy called Wan." Aang scratched the back of his head. "He, uh, he's probably been around here for a while."

The creature, a dragonfly bunny spirit of a sort, gazed up at him and squeaked softly, fluttering its wings. Aang watched it rise higher and higher into the misty sky, its luminous green skin blending with the trees around them.

"Wait up!" he called, giving chase. If only he had his airbending! He squinted to try and keep track of the charming creature, its squeals reverberating around the strangely empty meadow. With all his attention focused on the sky, Aang didn't see the figure suddenly emerge from behind a tree until he collided head first, the force knocking him on his back.

"Oof!" Aang rubbed his head with a groan. "I'm so sorry about that! I was just running after this animal and I didn't see where I was..." he trailed off when he finally glanced up, a grin spreading across his face. "Roku!"

The old Avatar gave the young boy a wink, helping him up. "Adorable things, aren't they? Rather loyal, too. I'd say it was good to see you, Aang, but the circumstances are not ideal, it seems. I trust you know what you must do?"

Aang brushed blades of grass off his tunic, giving Roku a pained look. "Wan. Yue told me I needed to find him. But Roku - I don't even know where to start! The Spirit World is massive. He could be anywhere!" He threw his hands up in frustration. "And I have to get back soon because Katara's all alone with the Dai Li and Azula and-"

"Aang." Roku's voice cut him off with its weight of authority. "You will find Wan, I know it. He is you, after all, in another form. You'll recognise him when you see him. As for where to start: that is what _we_ are here for. Come, walk with me." With a guiding hand on the airbender's shoulder, they began their trek through the dazzling forest. "I cannot take you to him directly. Finding him is part of your journey to reconnecting with your Avatar Spirit. We can only go so far together, I'm afraid."

Aang's shoulders slumped at his words. More tasks, more challenges. Would he ever be done with the testing? When would he finally prove his worth? 

He kicked a stone and watched it roll away under a moss-infested branch, pondering his words. "Did...did you have trouble mastering the Avatar State too?" he asked in a small voice. "Or did it come naturally? Please don't say it did. I really need to feel better about myself right now," he added morosely. 

His past life chuckled, shaking his head gently. "You give me too much credit, Aang. Believe me, I had my own problems. I was impatient and that did not always end well for me." He turned to give the boy a kind smile. "In fact, there was this one time where-"

"Wait, did you hear that?" Aang cut in, whipping around, his eyes roving the forest. "There's something watching us, I think."

He heard Roku take a few steps forward, his breathing growing deep and even. The sound of a cracked branch snapped their heads towards its source, and Roku placed a hand on Aang's chest to push him back as he crept forward slowly.

A silhouette could be seen amongst the trunks, still and tall. Aang's eyes widened and he took a glance around for a rock that he could use for self-defence. Beside him, Roku growled, "The Avatar is under my protection. Show yourself!"

The figure bowed in acceptance and stepped forward, the light throwing soft golden rays across their face.

Aang sprinted out from behind Roku's arm before the older man could grab him, unable to hear the worried calls of his name as he approached the figure.

"Gyatso! Gyatso, you're here!"

 

oOo

 

Amongst the whispers of the night, they would never find her. They were looking for a girl in white and red paint, with determination and courage carved into her features as they were carved into her soul, forever.

But she - she was something more. A slew of wide smiles and soft skin and deadly reflexes. She had learnt the ways of the world and she was what she needed to be: subtle, quiet, forgettable. In her head brewed an anger like an unforgiving mistress, curling to the sound of resentment; but her heart sang a different song, one of friends and home and a Water Tribe boy she swore she'd find again.

The message in her hand meant nothing to anyone not in the know.

_Pick a ripened fruit from the forest. But alas! It has a seed._

She wrote these notes between the hours filled with drinks and catcalls and laughter. No one suspected a mere maid at a tavern. It was subtle, quiet, forgettable. Amongst drunkards and deceivers, a warrior found her place.

"They know about the sanctuary in Baruu Forest. Clear out before they come."

It had been groaned into her ear by an intoxicated soldier, his hand wrapped around her wrist with despair and lust tipping his tongue.

At least, that's what he wanted you to believe. And you did. They always did.

Allies could be found in the strangest places, it seemed.

She would giggle and wink and give him a cheeky smile in return before bundling off to the next genuine drunkard ready to grope after her. They never noticed the fresh glint in her eyes or the way the lines around her mouth seemed a little less defined. Of course they wouldn't. It was a forgettable sight.

Was it a risk?

Oh yes. Soldiers wandered in every night. Singing about the new victory over the neighbour's daughter or agonising over a love that no longer wrote back.

Was it worth it?

Oh yes. Her sisters in arms still lay forgotten in some cell she could never find. The boy she dreamt of to keep her sane was nowhere to be found. Her home had long been conquered and who knew what remained that could hold any significance to her.

She had nothing to lose and everything to gain, and that's what made her strong.

The warrior would go to the marketplace at precisely noon the next day, where she would go to the fruit stall and idle over the apples. After seven minutes, the vendor's son would run up to deliver a fresh batch of oranges, collide into her and fall. She would proceed to help him up and slip a note in his pocket in the process. It would reach its destination by nightfall.

And by then, she'd be entertaining a new horde of pitiful souls, smiling wider with each passing hour.

Why?

Because Suki knew it wasn't over yet.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts.


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